SCIENTIFIC PHILANTHROPY. 521 



archy." I have called it a system, and herein lies its weakness as well 

 as its strength. " Theophrastus Such " was a distinct contribution to 

 the thought of the time, hut, through not aiming at the completeness 

 of a system, it failed to secure the attention which would have re- 

 vealed its short-comings. Many parts of "Natural Religion" are 

 doubtless of great value, but what a writer does not seem to have 

 great faith in personally is not likely to be warmly welcomed by out- 

 siders. 



\To be continued.] 



-*- 



SCIENTIFIC PHILANTHROPY. 



By M. ALFEED F0U1LLEE. 



II. 



WE have examined, subjecting them to their just measure, the in- 

 conveniences which philanthropy produces when it takes as its 

 rule the vague sentiment of love instead of the precise and scientific 

 ideas of justice and general interest ; it is proper for us to show the 

 advantages which can, in a certain measure, compensate for these in- 

 conveniences. This is a point of view on which the Darwinians have 

 not sufficiently insisted. 



The first advantage of philanthropic institutions, when they are 

 well conceived and subordinated to the rules of science, is, that they 

 tend to diminish excessive inequality, whether economical, political, or 

 intellectual, among men. The necessity of restoring some degree of 

 equality in mankind arises from the laws of natural selection them- 

 selves. It is a remarkable fact that these laws, after having at first ap- 

 peared favorable to aristocracies and aristocratic institutions, are now 

 invoked in favor of social equality. According to Dr. Jacoby, polit- 

 ical and economical inequality, even by virtue of the laws of natural 

 selection, produce " ignorance and misery below, crime and sterility 

 above. . . . From the mass of mankind emerge individuals, families, 

 and races, who tend to rise above the common level ; they toilsomely 

 scale the rugged heights, attain the summit of power, of wealth, and 

 of intelligence, and, when once they have got there, they are cast 

 down and disappear in the depths of folly and degeneracy." Death 

 is the great leveler ; by destroying everything that rises, it democra- 

 tizes mankind. " Men thus appear to have been organized," according 

 to Dr. Jacoby, " with a view to equality." Every too abrupt distinc- 

 tion into classes, political, economical, or intellectual, and all selection, 

 which is the logical and natural consequence of such distinctions, are 

 equally disastrous to mankind, to the elect as well as to the rest of 

 men ; " they produce with the latter deficiency, with the former ex- 



